Our lives are filled with transitions. The term “transition” is defined as; “the process or a period of changing from one state to another.” (Merriam Webster Dictionary) From newborns, to toddlers, to children, to adults, we transition all throughout our lives. Whether these transitions are physical or mental, we are also faced with life transitions. Life transitions include from kindergarten to grade school, grade school to middle school, middle to high school, and high school to college and beyond. Right now, most of us, if not all of us, are facing the transition from high school to college. Beyond college, we will face job transitions, life transitions, friendship transitions, and more.  

After being at Penn State since summer, I have discovered that the transition from high school to college is something that can be frightening, or even just weird. Personally, leaving my best friends and family who I had spent senior year with exactly a month after we graduated was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I felt like things would never be the same as they were, and simply did not want to leave yet. Senior year I had cherished friendships, loved my school, and everything felt right. It felt so easy, so natural, and so common. Quora describes senior year as “the best year of high school.” Leaving this year and packing up almost everything we know, whether it is during your senior summer or when all your friends are leaving too, is not easy. Driving away and realizing you probably won’t be back to this place until Thanksgiving can be an uneasy, and odd feeling. Soon enough, as I did, you realize that life changes, and transitions aren’t all that bad.  

Image above shows my graduating class from 2022. This adjustment from 100 people (at an all girls, privatem catholic high school) was much different than 40,000 people at one school, and having almost 10,000 people in my class.

Around 2 months later, I have come to realize that transitioning from high school to college is something that is for the good. Although my life isn’t close to the same as it was my senior year, it’s a new and exciting thing. The fear I had that I would hate my school, or that I would make no friends, has slowly started to fade away. I now know that eventually, even if it isnt right this second or day, I will feel the same familiarity, naturalness, and friendships that I did my senior year of high school. If you told me this at the end of June (which in fact, I could tell you every single person I knew did) I wouldn’t believe you. The Washington Post says, “The most significant worries about transitioning to college life are roommate issues, followed by fears of not making close friends, the “hook-up” culture, the party scene and generally fitting in.” After talking to multiple friends and people in my family, I discovered that I wasn’t the only one worrying about college. However, I can now say, that everyone who told me about the transition, even though I left for college earlier than every single person I knew, turned out to be perfectly okay.  

Transitioning from high school to college can be a culture shock in more ways than one. As you can see from the image below, Penn State is not a small school, and the freshman class is extremely large (Image 1, Onward State) I know that I felt all of these feelings I talked about, and I imagine that some of you did too. In every way, it will all work out, even if it feels impossible in the moment. Now that the transitioning part is almost over, or in the process, we soon get to experience college as a freshman. Trying new things, making new friends, meeting new people, and all of the things we have been told to be so great since the beginning of high school. As the transition anxiety fades, let the anticipation and excitement begin.